On a Saturday evening in September of 1979, Melvin Hopkins, a 39-year-old male, was off-duty from his job as a New York City Police Officer. He was standing outside a liquor store owned by his uncle at the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Atlantic Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn as the store was closing for the night. The end of his watch came unexpectedly and violently when a man attempted to force his way into the closed establishment.
Earlier that evening,
Officer Hopkins had assisted a bartender at a bar across the street in ejecting the same man, who was with a group of other troublemakers. Now, as Hopkins stood guard, the man returned and, after being told the liquor store was closed, produced a. 25 caliber handgun. An exchange of gunfire ensued, and Officer Hopkins was mortally wounded. As he lay on the ground, the assailant stole his service weapon and fled the scene.
A few days later, a 21-year-old suspect was apprehended and charged with the murder of Officer Hopkins. The investigation revealed the connection between the suspect and the earlier incident at the bar. After a trial, the suspect was convicted of murder on July 8, 1980, and was subsequently sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. After serving nearly four decades, the convicted man was paroled on December 26, 2019.
Melvin Hopkins had served with the New York City Police Department for ten years and was assigned to the 77th Precinct. He was also a military veteran, having served three tours of duty with the United States Army in Vietnam. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
